


The Questionable First Date

by lolahardy



Series: From Dark to Light [11]
Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Stripper/Exotic Dancer, Angst, Arguing, Awkwardness, Class Differences, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, Eventual Sex, Eventual Smut, First Dates, Internal Conflict, M/M, Power Imbalance, Slow Build, Strippers & Strip Clubs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-13
Updated: 2014-06-13
Packaged: 2018-02-04 11:35:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1777591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lolahardy/pseuds/lolahardy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After agreeing to dinner, Arthur finds out just how much of a boring date he is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Questionable First Date

**Author's Note:**

> Beta-ed by the always lovely [Leesha](http://darlingleesha.tumblr.com)!

aAs far as first dates went, it was a disaster.

Arthur couldn’t even remember the last time he went on a date and spent all day wondering what the hell he had done.

He didn’t know what to wear since his life had revolved around work and grocery shopping which left him with very little clothing options that weren’t sweatpants and booty shorts. In a fit of panic, he embarrassingly typed ‘first date dinner clothing options’ into his Google search bar, his face flushed as if someone would see his search and then immediately clicked out when nothing but women’s options popped up.

He dug through his closet and found very little things he felt he could wear that would be appropriate. He found jeans, sweats, basketball shorts, cargo shorts and a suit that still had its dry cleaning bag over it that he had worn years ago. He wasn’t even sure it would fit. There was no button down to go with it, or even a tie and when it came to other shirts, all he had were t-shirts. As he fell to the floor of his closet, he realized he had nothing in the form of shoes either.

In disgust, he got up and went out shopping. He didn’t really have the money to blow on an entire new outfit, but he figured he would return most of it afterwards.

Arthur settled on black dress pants that he folded in the hem of because while they fit his hips and ass perfectly, but they were a lot longer than him. For a top, he bought a long sleeved white Henley shirt and a pair of Chelsea boots that were thankfully on sale.

He got home, with an hour to spare, and he rushed through a shower and shave and much to his horror, he had twenty minutes to get to the coffee spot to meet Eames. When he got there, there was only a few minutes left and he felt his nerves shake him as he glanced at his watch. When it was finally seven, the same luxury car that had waited for Arthur at the club, pulled up in front of the shop where Arthur stood.

Arthur stood still and waited until the back door opened and Eames stepped out. He looked at Arthur as he bowed his head slightly and said,

“You showed.”

“So did you.”

Eames stepped away and gestured Arthur towards the car and Arthur stepped in.

        Dinner was awkward. They went to a nice, not overly formal restaurant where Arthur stared down at his plate for most of the dinner. He didn’t know what to say, he couldn’t think of a single topic, he didn’t know how to act or if he was acting correctly, and he reached for his glass of wine or his fork to keep his mouth occupied. When Eames would look at him, Arthur would give him a small smile before glancing back down. When there was no more food left, no wine, Arthur set his fork down and barely remembered what he ate.

“Are you bored?”

Arthur glanced back up as he heard the question.

“No, I just...don’t know what to say.”

He winced internally and bit his lip.

“Did you like your dinner?”

“Yes, it was great.”

Eames nodded. The dishes were cleared away and coffee was brought out and Arthur held the cup in his hand after he added some cream and looked back down at it.

“Do you have to be somewhere tomorrow?”

“Just work...but that’s not until later.”

“Would you like to go for a drink?”

“Sure.”

After a painfully quiet dinner, they had a painfully quiet drink.

Arthur refused to make the mistake of getting wasted so he nursed one drink and still struggled to make conversation. He was sure his face was red, he was sure he was blowing this and he mentally cringed with every second that passed which was filled with silence.

        After the drink, Eames offered him a ride home, but Arthur had left his car parked in front of the coffee shop. He looked out the window on the trip back, wondering what he had done and why he felt the need to completely shatter the fantasy of what he was in the club, to reveal the awkward, boring person he really was. He had really trained himself out of any normal social skills and he was regretting every moment of that night. When the car finally stopped, Arthur looked down at his lap, feeling miserable, thinking he would look at Eames and Eames would finally see what Arthur really was: a boring nobody. He dreaded looking up, so he fumbled with his fingers for as long as he could before finally speaking.

“I’m sorry this was so awful.”

It was quiet again and Arthur could sense the end. Instead, he heard Eames turning towards him, the leather of the seat crinkling from his shift of position.

“It wasn’t awful.”

Arthur scoffed and finally looked at Eames.

“How could you say that? I hardly talked. I couldn’t think of a thing to say.”

“So?”

“I just...I was a boring date.”

“I found it charming.”

Arthur only scoffed again. Eames reached over to him and gently took his hand and Arthur stayed still, looking down at their hands. Eames suddenly asked his driver to step out for a moment and once the other man had left, Eames said to Arthur,

“Is this all right?”

Arthur nodded and suddenly babbled out,

“I haven’t been on a date in years. I haven’t been around people that haven’t wanted to just fuck me. I haven’t done much of anything other than work. I don’t understand what you could see in me.”

“This doesn’t sound like you.”

“I don’t want to like you. I railed against it. Now I’m babbling at you because this entire night has made me so insecure.”

He felt Eames’ hold on him tighten as he said,

“I didn’t mean to make you insecure.”

“It’s not your fault.”

It was quiet again before Eames said,

“I would love to take you out again.”

Arthur’s eye went wide. He didn’t expect a second date, he didn’t expect much of anything, yet Eames kept surprising him.

“Are you serious?”

“Yes.”

Arthur felt a little panic flutter inside him and he did his best to squash it. He swallowed hard as he said,

“Ok. But can I do one thing to know I can do at least one thing right?”

Eames nodded and Arthur slid over to him, climbing onto Eames’ lap as he minded the roof of the car and wrapped his arms around Eames’ neck and leaned forward to kiss him. He had wanted to kiss Eames from the moment he saw him and he was not disappointed to feel the softness of his lips as Eames kissed back. It was warm with just the slightest bit of wetness, his tongue touching shyly at Eames’, his breath warm and hinting slightly at scotch. Arthur breathed softly, evenly, moving back slightly to leave soft, slow kisses against his mouth, letting his lips press against Eames’. Arthur felt Eames’ arms holding him as if he had been waiting for that just as long. When Arthur pulled back, he looked at Eames, seeing a soft blissed out look on his face as his eyes opened gently. He smiled slightly, biting his bottom lip a little.

“All right?”

Eames nodded.

“That was more amazing than anything you’ve ever done for me before.”

Arthur laughed a little, for the first time the entire night, feeling relaxed. He got off Eames and sat beside him, looking at him again.

“Will I see you tomorrow? At the club I mean.”

“Yes. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“You’ll ask for me?”

Eames smiled at him, nodding as he said,

“If you tell me your real name.”

Arthur had forgotten about the false name he had given him when they first met. It was only then that Arthur realized that Eames had never actually addressed him by that name.

“It’s Arthur.”

He felt Eames’ hand cup his face, his thumb rubbing his cheek.

“Arthur…”

Even his name sounded amazing coming from Eames’ mouth. He leaned over to him and kissed him again before pulling back and saying,

“Tomorrow.”

Eames nodded.

“Tomorrow.”

So maybe it wasn’t the worst date ever.


End file.
